Process visualization systems (SCADA systems—supervisory control and data acquisition systems) are used to display status information which relates to technical processes and plant statuses in a user-friendly fashion. The status information may include switch settings or operating information relating to a basic technical plant and is obtained by means of measuring devices. In order to display at least one item of status information, which in the case of complex systems is generally a significantly compressed item of information, generally an item of status information calculated from a plurality of individual information, the apparatus cited in the introduction is used. To display the individual image sections, several screens are frequently used (multiscreen environment). For ergonomic reasons, the status information is to be displayed here on as many screens as possible, ideally on each screen. In the case of workstations of this type, screens or parts of the overall image surface are also frequently used at times to display information which does not originate from the process visualization system. The information originating from the process visualization system on the other hand is displayed in a display window which is associated with the process visualization system.
To ensure that the at least one item of status information obtained by means of the process visualization system is displayed on as many screens as possible, in the case of visualization apparatuses from the prior art, a very restricted number of configurations of the display window and thus display scenarios are predetermined. During operation of the plant, the user is only able to manually select one of these preconfigured display types. The user is therefore very restricted in respect of the use of the image surface for applications which are independent of the process visualization system.